Brockton police seize 87 marijuana plants after finding pot-growing operation in city home

A Brockton man, charged with marijuana distribution over the weekend after police found 87 pot plants in his Winnifred Road basement, was arraigned Monday and ordered held on $50,000 cash bail.

By Amy Carboneau

The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

By Amy Carboneau

Posted Jul. 23, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 23, 2013 at 11:10 PM

By Amy Carboneau

Posted Jul. 23, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 23, 2013 at 11:10 PM

BROCKTON

» Social News

Initially called for reports of a prowler, police arrived at a city home to find 87 marijuana plants, in addition to firearms, cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin, a state prosecutor said in Brockton District Court Monday.

Rowe appeared in court in a black, untucked button-down shirt and khakis just prior to 11 a.m. He was later handcuffed and ordered held without bail on a probation violation, and on $50,000 cash bail on the latest charge. Assistant District Attorney Gregory Longo had requested bail in the amount of $20,000.

On Saturday, between 1 a.m. and 11 a.m., 14 police officers responded to the single-family home on the city’s West Side, after first being called there for reports of a prowler.

Police located an open bulkhead, saw movement inside and were invited in by Rowe, without hesitation, to search the basement for a possible suspect, Longo described in court.

While there, police found dozens of marijuana plants, fertilizer, scales and baggies, and a room converted into a drying area, Longo said.

Police secured the scene. At around 9 a.m. Saturday, they returned with a search warrant.

Rowe told police he was allowing Dossantos to rent the basement of his home to grow marijuana, Longo said.

Rowe was about $2,000 in debt to Dossantos for cocaine, Longo said, and Dossantos was paying Rowe approximately $200 a month, in addition to electrical bills, to pay Dossantos back.

Jamie Rowe, who was not charged, told WBZ-TV that Dossantos had threatened them in the past.

“It was either pay him or we would be dead,” she said. “We were just intimidated by him completely.”

In court, Rowe’s defense attorney, Michael Brothers, of Framingham, also argued that Rowe had entered into the arrangement out of fear for his life.

“I’d ask the court to take that into consideration,” Brothers said, also disputing a prior claim Longo made that the couple’s 9-year-old daughter lived in the home, to which Dossantos was given access.

Judge Moynihan, to Brothers, said, “I’ll take that into consideration, but I don’t believe it.”

Page 2 of 2 - If there’s a 9-year-old girl involved, he later added, “maybe you call the police,” instead of negotiating a deal that turns the home into a “major drug operation.”

Rowe has violated his probation eight times since 1995, court records show.

His criminal history at Brockton District Court dates back to 1994 and includes charges for breaking and entering in the daytime, a felony; larceny over $250; possession of a class D drug; possession with intent to distribute a class D drug; conspiracy to violate the drug law; forgery of a document; assault and battery with a dangerous weapon; and statutory rape of a child, among others.

The case is continued for pre-trial and probation hearings on Aug. 22.